The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-06-22
ARMY LIFE.
HOW SOLDIERS PASS THEIR
TIME AT FRONTIER POSTS.
Uncle Sans Little Army - Inter
esting Particulars About the
Daily NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Of a Frontier Fort.


money, the accumulation of five years can
be saved pretty easily, that is if "Barkis
is willin'," and the penniless mortal who
entered the service without cent can
! generally go back to civilization with
| plenty of shekels in his pockets, abun-
dance of experience in his head and also
with rich rosy health to his credit. In
the regular army to-day there are: One
Lieutenant General, three Major-Gener-
ais. sixteen Brigadiers, sixty-eight Colo
nels, eighty-nine Lieutenant Colonies,
/ 233 Majors, ego Captains, GAS First Lieu
tenants, and 444 Second Lieutenants.
The above are the commissioned branch.
Now come forty Sergeant-Majors the
highest rank next to commissioned Of
fcer) forty Quartermaster- -Sergeants, forty
chief musicians, sixty principal music
clans, about AS Saddler, Ordnance and
Commissary Sergeants, chief trumpeters,
hospital stewards, etc., 1880 Line Ser
geants, 1, S93 Corporals and very nearly
| IL. 900 privatcs. The grand total is some
thing like 20, 167 all told. Outside of
the staff departments the above are con-
tanned Especially the enlisted branch) in
twenty-five regiments of infantry, ten reg
iments of cavalry, five regiments of artil-
lery and battalion of engineers.
Of course this little mite of an array is
scattered over an immense amount of
territory, and even if gathered together
in one bunch would scarce make a
respectable showing alongside of the
monstrous standing armies of Europe,
but this handful is nucleus for tremen-
dous expansion, and the skeleton
companies could be increased almost
instantaneously fourfold or more without
in the least bit disarranging the excellent
organization which is now its boast and
its pride. More than half the regular
army is west of the Mississippi River.
Forts and military posts are situated in
nearly all the Territories, and these are
garrisoned by troops who have little else
to do now but regular garrison duty. A.
recruit from date of enlistment draws $13
per month the first year, $13 the second
year, $14 the third, $15 the fourth and
SIG the fifth year. Some of this is re"
tanned, which is all paid over to him by
the paymaster on the day of his discharge.
In addition to his pay he gets board,
lodging and certain allowance of cloth
ing, which is settled semi-annually On the
muster rolls. His average pay per month,
second enlistment, is $18. For this he
does guard duty, attends roll-calls, is
detailed on fatigue at odd times, shoots
his rifle and plays baseball. The ordinary
routine for day is as follows:
Sunrise. reveille roll-call. If a cavalry
man, stables Immediately afterwards,
when each man grooms, feeds, waters his
horse and then breakfast for himself,
Fatigue at 1880, when those not on
other duty are detailed to do any extra
work about the garrison, such as policing
the post, cleaning away old rubbish,
watering trees, loading and unloading
stores and supplies, and, in fact, attend
ing to any other chores that need atten-
ton.
Ats:45 the buglers sound the first call
for guard mounting. This is Il most
beautiful ceremony, of daily occurrence,
and is for the purpose of relieving the
old guard by new detail, changing the
officer of the day, etc., being really the
beginning of the official day at al the
forts. The post-fag is run up at sunrise
and lowered at sunset. After guard
mounting drills are in order. If in mid
summer, when the weather is very hot,
some other more suitable hour is selected
for this exercise. There is little to do
between nine o'clock and noon, the main
duty being performed by the various
fatigue parties, and, perhaps a garrison
or general court-martial may be in session.
Ali the afternoon is idle time, with the
exception of stables again, the soldier
being taught to give his horse the best
of attention and care. Fatigue call goes
again at one, from that hour till %our the
working parties continuing their labors,
and at sunset retreat roll-call is sounded.
If the weather is fine, at retreat full
dress parade is held, which is also one of
the most interesting ceremonies in the
military calendar. Saturdays and Sum
days are days of rest. The first Of the
two is generally utilized in cleaning up
the arms, accountrements, hunks, bar
racks, etc., for the usual Sunday morning
inspection. Inspection is the oaly duty
on Sunday, excepting g,lard-mountlng,
which is held 365 days during the year.
Target practice is most industriously OBJ
served during the favorable weather
months. The old style paper targets,
6xG, stationary and immovable, are now
generally superseded by silhoutte figures
of men in the standing, kneeling and
lyino positions, At these the soldiers
fire, advancing, retreating, at halt, on
run, etc., the exercise coming as near
actual warfare and hostile conditions in
time of peace as it is possible to get. The
figures are exact reproductions of an
enemy in size and position, just as if
drawn up in line of battle or lying as
skirmishers in the act of firing.
think there are something like forty
nine forts and six arsenals in the United
States. Fort Keogh is oneof the largest,
and short description of it will serve as
fair sample of about what all the others
are. In the first place, fort would seem
to signify strongly fortified place, with
breastworks, parapets, bastions, sally
ports and lots of bristling cannon look
ing down over the walls in threatening
manner. Some Eastern forts are con-
structed according to the above descrlp-
ton, but they are old and out of date,
having been succeeded by totally differ
emf, peaccable concerns, although the
latter bear the same warlike names ana
titles of their venerable ancestors. A
Western fort is neither more nor less than
q small town or village set down on the